As long as we have our health, nothing else matters

For the most part, our trip has gone really smoothly. We’re traveling in a way that works for both of us, combining lots of running, working, and activities that we both enjoy. Our goal here is to get a feel for what life would be like living in Europe – not visiting every single museum / gallery / major tourist attraction that we can pack in while over here. So our days have been a really relaxing combination of running (can’t get enough of the gorgeous scenery out here), work (some paid, some personal projects), exploration, and fresh food. It’s been a really good break from my life in Toronto, and that’s exactly what I wanted. I needed a new mindset.

Until yesterday, I thought the above things were all I needed to be happy in life. But I was wrong.

My health – and Mike’s health is all I need to be happy on this trip. Everything else – the scenic running, business building, food and coffee sampling – all of that is secondary and a nice to have benefit to being over here in Europe on our own timelines.

On Tuesday, Mike came down with a fever and got violently sick. We think it is because he may have come in contact with contaminated water during his long run on Sunday. On Wednesday and Thursday, he seemed to be getting better so we thought the worst was over. On Friday, things took an ugly turn and then I had to watch, helplessly, as Mike suffered through some of the worst pain I have ever seen him in over all the years we have been together. It was horrible and incredibly frustrating. Eventually, things got so bad that I made a decision to take him to see a doctor. It wasn’t easy – he was resisting and I was doubting myself. Was I overreacting? Was it a mistake to go – or was it a mistake to NOT go? I didn’t feel qualified to help him anymore, and after several hours and attempts at relieving his pain, it was clear that he needed help.

Prior to this whole incident, the first thing that I thought of when I woke up usually revolved around the run I had scheduled, my breakfast and my daily to-do list. I can see how self-absorbed that is, but it was my temporary reality. The first thing I thought of this morning was how grateful I was to have Mike beside me, relatively healthy and smiling for the first time in days. I couldn’t have cared less what or when I ate breakfast, whether we went for a run or not, or if we never left the house to explore Munich in case Mike wasn’t feeling up for it.

As it turns out, he really wanted to go for a run. He’s an adult and very in-tune with his body, so I decided to tag along. 🙂 It turned out to be one of the most glorious runs we’ve had in in Europe. No, we weren’t surrounded by mountains, nor were we going at a particularly noteworthy pace. We were just running, and I felt comfort knowing he was beside me and not writhing in pain on the floor like he had been the day before. I wanted to bottle up this run and savour it forever.